Love Me Like That (43 page)

She opens her eyes when I pull my hands away and whimpers when I move them to her knees, my touch losing its sensual intention. “How do you know I have a tiny backyard? Pudge may love it here.”

I tilt my head at her. “London, I can stick my hand out of the window and touch your neighbor’s house. I don’t have to see the backyard to know that it is smaller than the dozen or so acres I have to offer him at our house in the country.”

“Our house?” she says softly.

“Ours.” I run my hands back up her thighs, taunting and teasing her.

“I wouldn’t want Pudge to feel deprived. That would be a very selfish thing for me to do.” She taps her finger on her chin playfully.

“Don’t be selfish, London.” My cock throbs at her moan when I slip my thumb past her panties and into her tight heat.

“As long as Pudge is happy,” she gasps as my fingers continue to work her.

I pull my hand out of her panties. “Is that a yes?”

She nods her head, grasping my hand, and placing it back inside her panties. Who am I to deny her?

Losing his wife was horrendous. Finding out her twin sister murdered her? That is unfathomable. Even with his news and the pain, I know he still feels about the entire situation, he seems happier than he ever did in the cabin or the condo.

The second he asked me to move in with him, I already knew my answer I just didn’t want to seem overeager and needy. I wouldn’t mind staying here with him, but it is pretty small especially with a dog and a baby on the way. I only have a month left on my lease so breaking that contract won’t be too bad. Kadin assures me that he’ll pay whatever he needs to get me in his arms and keep me there for the rest of his life.

He seems much more eager to get me out of here than I could ever have been. I went to the kitchen to cook lunch, and he left in his truck for twenty minutes and came back with a pile of industrial strength cardboard boxes. It seems he wants me out immediately. After lunch, we spend a few hours packing my meager belongings.

Much of the furniture in the house will stay, but I insist that the eclectic pieces that I bought over the last few months go with me. I almost thought he’d put up an argument, considering the very modern, sleek look I remember of the things in his condo, but he just smiles and agrees. He tells me that we can go ahead and bring what will fit in the bed of the truck today, and he will send a moving company by on Monday to get the rest.

We touch, kiss, and caress each other if we get within arm’s length of one another. We both know we have a lot of time to make up for. He carries another box to the truck after insisting that I don’t lift a thing. I sit on the sofa and look around the quickly emptying room. He must notice my sudden melancholy when he comes back in because he sits beside me and clasps my hand in his.

He tilts my chin up with a gentle finger and looks into my eyes. “What if you only think you want me? What if parenthood is more than you bargained for? What if the baby isn’t…?” His fingers on my lips halt my words.

“I told you yesterday, and I meant every word I spoke. This baby,” he says as he places a gentle hand on my stomach. “This baby is mine regardless of what a test would say. I’m not changing my mind, London. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I don’t want to spend another day away from you, but if you need time to decide I’ll give you all the time you need.”

I look into his eyes, and my heart grows at his words, doubles in size at the sincerity not only in his voice but in the depths of his gaze. The longing he feels for me is almost palpable, and it makes my heart rate calm and grow stronger if that’s even possible.

“Promise me,” I whisper. “Promise me I’m enough for you.”

“You’re more than I could’ve ever dreamed of, London. Am I enough for you?” There is not a hint of cocky Kadin to be found; the slight flash of fear in his eyes proves he’s concerned I find him lacking.

“Yes, Kadin. Forever.” He gently places his lips on mine sealing our impromptu vows with the most tender of kisses.

“That is not a puppy, Kadin!” I exclaim as we pull up outside of the most beautiful country home I’ve ever seen. “He’s as big as a pony.”

He laughs. “The people at the shelter said he was only about a year old. It’s clear he’s going to be a huge animal.”

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t decide to move him into the cottage.” I wink at him, but my face falls. “He’s going to knock me down when I get out.” I cross my arms over my stomach protectively.

His eyes follow my actions. “Stay in the truck and I’ll get him inside. He’s much calmer in there than out here. He’s a maniac outside.”

I watch as he gets out. Pudge senses I’m in the truck and is not happy when Kadin begins to practically drag him toward the house. I can hear him telling the dog about me and his expectations of his behavior when I get inside. I grin wide when I hear him mention the baby and how he’s going to be a big brother, and the last thing he should do is hurt his sibling before his momma even gives birth.

When he shuts the dog inside, I open the door to the truck. Kadin runs to my side to help me jump out of the big monstrosity. I’m grateful for his help because it is a pretty big leap.

“I’m going to have to start using the car when we go places,” he says absently.

“I don’t think you’d fit in my car, Kadin.”

He laughs and points to a five car garage. “No offense, beautiful, but I wouldn’t be caught dead in your car.”

The happy gleam in his eye prevents me from feeling offended that he’s unimpressed with my Mini Cooper.

“You ready to see the house?” I nod and let him take my hand, leading me into the home we’ll raise our child in.

Kadin is able to calm Pudge with the snap of his fingers and a quick scratch on his head. I crouch down in front of him and let him sniff my hands. I pet his head gently and coo to him watching his tail thump against the wall at the attention.

He follows us around the house as Kadin gives me the grand tour. “This is nothing like the condo,” I eventually say as we make our way upstairs.

“Savannah decorated the condo,” he informs me. “This is more my style.”

We walk toward the end of the hall, and I can’t help but notice how open and inviting it is. All of the doors are open and welcoming, even the master suite at the very end of the hall. He lets me walk in first and wraps his arms around my waist, resting his head on my shoulder as I look around the room.

Noticing the bed, I smile. “Is that the…”

“The bed from your room in the condo? Yes.” He turns me in his arms. “It’s all I had of you. I know this may seem sudden to you, but I’ve felt you with me every single day that we’ve been apart. I’ve built this life for us, hoping I’d find you again. This isn’t something I impulsively decided the last couple of days.”

“I want to show you something.” He grasps my hand and tugs me to a door on the far side of the room.

I’m a assuming it’s a bathroom and immediately hope it has all of the shower heads that the shower in the cabin had. He swings the door open wide, and I gasp, clamping a hand over my mouth. My eyes rake over everything in the small adjoining room.

“Is this okay?” He asks suddenly unsure about the entire situation.

Tears are running down my face as I look at the dark cherry crib and matching rocker with ottoman. The beautiful changing table in one corner looks like an antique and fits perfectly in the room.

“You need to say something, London. I don’t know how to interpret the tears.” He sounds nervous.

“It’s beautiful, Kadin.” I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my sobs into his hard chest. “You really want us here.”

He pulls away slightly so he can look in my eyes. “You’re home, London.” He kisses my lips delicately. “Welcome home.”

We stand in the small nursery holding each other for a long time until I eventually pull away to have a better look. I run my hand over the changing table. “I love this,” I tell him.

“That was mine and Kegan’s when we were babies,” he informs me. “My mom can’t wait to meet you.”

I turn back to him with wide eyes. “You told your mom about me?” He nods. “When? Does she know about the baby?”

He chuckles. “I told her about you earlier this week; that’s how I got the changing table. I didn’t know if I’d get you back, but I knew,” he pauses like he doesn’t want to finish his thought. “I knew even if you didn’t want me I still wanted to be a father.”

I turn my attention back to the small dresser and the closed, dated book on top. I flip the cover open and see the sweetest little red headed child smiling back at me.

“Is this you?” I whisper.

“I told you I was a ginger.” I watch as he runs his hand over his mahogany colored hair. “The red disappeared completely by the time I was in Jr. High, but I was born a ginger. My mother’s side of the family apparently.”

I trace my finger down his jaw. “I’d wondered. When the sun hits your beard a certain way I can see hints of red in it.” I kiss his lips and whisper in his ear. “I’ve always had a thing for gingers.”

“Is that so?” He asks gripping my ass cheeks in his hands and pulling me as close to his body as my stomach will allow.

“I love this home, Kadin. I can’t wait to build a life with you here, raise this baby here.” I smile down at the bump that keeps me from being able to rest flush against his hard body.

“Babies,” he counters. “I want lots of babies.”

We had a long conversation last Sunday after making love in our bed for hours. I was concerned about her going back to work. She finally admitted to me that Justin, although a very sweet guy couldn’t seem to let go of the crush he had on her. I get it; she’s an amazing woman.

I told her I’d love nothing more than to go to her job and inform him of just how unavailable she actually is, but she wouldn’t let me. She promised she’d discuss it with him, and if she felt like he couldn’t let it go completely, she’d quit.

She came home on Monday and informed me that she wasn’t quitting altogether, but she’d be working from home most days. I shifted some things at work so I could spend a day or two working from home as well. We’ve spent the past week incorporating her things amongst the things I already had in the house and spending as much time in each other’s arms as we could stand.

Just like at the condo we’ve quickly managed a routine that we both seem happy about. We spend quite a bit of time wandering around the property and walking with Pudge, but today is an exciting day. Today we find out what we’re having, and I think I’m just as excited as she is to start buying things for our child.